


Your Elevator Crisis Buddy

by TheSelfHatingAngelOfThursday



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Cas is a lawyer and a damn good one too, Fluff, I write in really short chapters but there’s a surplus of them so you’re good, It’s so cliche, M/M, They’re stuck in an elevator and they flirt, This is my first long(ish) work for this fandom so let me know what you think, and dramatic, its a meet cute, mostly fluff at least, stuck in an elevator AU, they have an instant and profound bond
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-18
Updated: 2020-11-18
Packaged: 2021-03-09 21:22:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 3,241
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27612725
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheSelfHatingAngelOfThursday/pseuds/TheSelfHatingAngelOfThursday
Summary: Castiel makes his way into an elevator, tired and mostly brain dead after a day of work.Dean trudges into an elevator, head down and body grimy after a long day at work.All is well and good, until the elevator rumbles and stops.Fortunately, it’s nice when one is stuck with a hot guy that seems to think the same of them.
Relationships: Castiel/Dean Winchester
Comments: 13
Kudos: 66





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! So, to start this off, thank you for opening my fic! This was intended to be a one shot, and it just kept... growing. I hope you enjoy it as much as I enjoyed writing it!
> 
> Second of all, I want to mention Cas in this fic. I wrote him as Cas, yes, but I also wrote him as Cas if he had grown up and been raised in a human environment. I played off of that in a way that I think that might have affected him while still trying to retain his character. Let me know what you think!

_Ding_.

Castiel files into an elevator at 10pm, rubbing his eyes and clutching his briefcase to his chest, before glancing around and dropping his arm to his side. No one is around, but one could never be too careful, right?

 _Ding_.

He needs to check in on Balthazar’s case. He needs to make sure Anna and Meg are getting along. He needs to ensure everything is good for court in a week. He needs to-

 _Ding_.

The doors slide open and snap Castiel out of his thoughts. A man walks in and, okay, yes, Castiel is immediately captivated. He has a light brown head of hair that is almost blonde when the bright elevator lights shone on it. And although his head is down as he steps inside, Castiel can already tell his eyes are a stunning green. The man wears a blue jumpsuit that is unzipped all the way, the sleeves tied around his waist. His hands were clean, but from the wrist to the place his white sleeves began, there was a light brown tint from a day’s worth of dirt.

Yes, Castiel is staring at and incredibly attracted to a janitor.

The man- Dean, Castiel corrects himself based off of a name tag on his chest- looks up and jumps.

“I apologize, I didn’t mean to startle you.” Castiel offers a slight smile, before breaking his intent stare and looking ahead as Dean presses the button on the elevator wall.

“Don’t worry about it, dude.” Dean says easily, before glancing back up. “I mean, sorry, Sir.”

“You needn’t apologize.” Castiel replies in a cool tone, dragging his eyes away toward the elevator doors.

 _Ding_.

Castiel begins to watch Dean out the side of his eye, as the man pulls out his phone and smiles at it, typing. Of course, he rolls his eyes when the message likely doesn’t send. Castiel figures Dean must have someone at home. A wife, perhaps some children and a family. Maybe simply a girlfriend. Castiel nods, and drags his eyes away, placing their stare on the floor.

 _Ding_.

Castiel begins to count the dots on the floor.

One.

Ten.

Fifty.

One hundred fifty.

 _Click_.

Castiel looks up from the floor, eyes wide and arms out to support himself as the elevator rumbles.

The lights are out, and the elevator… The elevator is stuck.

Castiel looks to his side, eyes still blown wide as he stares at Dean. It comes so natural to him he might have questioned it, and he may later. But for now, his eyes lock with Dean’s and there’s a mutual understanding.

No words are spoken but the message is clear.

They’re stuck here.


	2. Chapter 2

The first thing Dean does, after steadying himself, is break his eye contact with the man who is in the elevator with him. No need for distractions. He steps forward, and bites his lip, sizing up the doors in front of him that he can now see by the backup lights.

“You shouldn’t do that.” A low, gravely voice says from behind him. Just like the first time, it sends genuine shivers directly down his spine. 

“Why not? We might be close to a floor.”

“The doors are nearly impossible to open. And even if you do get it open, the elevator might move, and you may be as good as dead if that happens.”

Dean looks behind him, and the man standing there remains stoic. 

“We need to press the alarm and alert the authorities.”

“We?”

“Yes. We are stuck here, so we are alerting the authorities.”

“Would you like to do the honors, kind sir?” Dean raises an eyebrow, stepping back.

The man steps forward, and presses the red emergency call button on the wall, while Dean continues walking backward until he hits the wall, watching the man in front of him.

He’s seen Castiel around, but he never really made eye contact. Never even considered exchanging words. He knows he works on a high floor, and stays much longer than anyone else. He works overhead Sammy, but he’s not quite sure how overhead. One of the original family, he thinks. 

He doesn’t look like them, though. He has dark, almost black hair, compared to Micheal’s light brown. And stunning dark blue eyes, compared to Lucifer’s pale blue. Those eyes, they’re so soft and kind, but they look aged beyond their years. Maybe that’s why Dean can’t help but stare when Castiel looks at him with that almost blank yet intent and determined stare. Dean continued to examine him and listen to the low rumble of his voice, and if you asked him if he was listening, he’d say yes. He’d be lying. 

And when the man turns around- oh shit he’s turning around.

“Did you hear that?”

“Couldn’t hear very well, but kind of, yeah. What’s the deal?”

“They said they might not be here for an hour, probably two.”

Dean nods, sliding down to sit on the floor, knees at his chest. “My savior.” He smirks a little, glancing up at the man in front of him. The expression drops into a smile, and he asks, “And what would be my savior’s name?”

“Technically, it would be whoever comes to pull us out of here.” The other man raises his left eyebrow, but there is a small tint of a teasing glint in his eye. “My name is Castiel.”

“Yeah, no, I’m gonna call you Cas.” Dean says, looking over at him. “That cool?” 

“I suppose that’s alright.” Cas nods, and Dean stares ahead for a moment, silent.

“So… What are you planning on doing for the next two hours?” Dean lets his head roll, so it rests against the wall behind him and his eyes are locked on Cas.

“I figured I would just sit here and wait.” Castiel says, looking at Dean.

And the whole world goes quiet. It just pauses. The whole world pauses for this moment that feels like the two hours itself. Dean could sit here for eternity. And it might just be attraction, or chemistry maybe, but Dean would not mind dying staring into those eyes. He’d do anything to keep them in his life. 

Sammy would be laughing his little ass off at this, wouldn’t be?


	3. Chapter 3

There’s a brightness in Dean’s eyes. A shine in them. It’s difficult, genuinely hard to even glance away. Unfortunately, Dean does glance away, breaking and ending the exhilarating feeling that had come from drowning in the fields that are Dean’s eyes.

“So, Cas, what do you do here?” Dean asks, looking up into the lights on the ceiling with a slight smile on his face.

“Junior partner. And you’re a… janitor, I assume?” Cas holds his gaze on Dean, although Dean’s eyes are on the lights. The lights that happen to shine rather elegantly on his face.

Dean raises an eyebrow, his head turning slowly to look at Cas.

Castiel doesn’t know what’s wrong. Why Dean’s looking at him like that. Dean wears a slight smile, but if Castiel has to guess, the look in his eyes, the expression, makes it look like sarcasm without saying a word. Sarcasm and slight amusement.

“Yes, Cas, I’m a janitor.” He says after that moment. “You’re awfully blunt, aren’t you?”

“Blunt? I suppose I am.” Castiel shrugs, before smiling. “You’re not the first person to say that to me.”

“And I bet I won’t be the last.” Dean laughs lightheartedly.

“It’s possible.” Cas grins. He wonders momentarily why he’s grinning. He’s stuck in a small room with a man he’s never spoken to, for one.

Secondly, he wonders why he can’t help but smile.


	4. Chapter 4

Castiel’s smile is heavenly, and Dean could die happy if he got to see it every day.

Yes he’s being dramatic, but it also feels so true. Like a truth deep down in his core.

He sounds like a terrible Young Adult romance novel.

And now he’s missed what Cas said.

“Sorry, what?” Dean blinks, breaking his eye contact with him to look back up at the lights.

“You asked what I’m going to do, I said nothing. What are you going to do?”

Dean coughed a bit, blinking. He’d laugh at himself, because it takes him a lot longer than anticipated to come up with an appropriate answer, but he can’t laugh. “I don’t know, I don’t have anything to do. No bars here, or I’d text my brother and let him know what’s going on, but other than that… nothing in mind.”

“Your brother?” Cas asks, smiling. 

“Yeah. Sammy. Sam Winchester. He’s a senior associate.” Dean grins. “I’m sure you’ve seen him around, he works two floors below you.”

“Ah, yes. Your brother, he’s very bright. Brilliant in court. He’s your younger brother, right? I’ve seen him at corporate functions, he’s mentioned you. Although I didn’t know you worked here as well.”

“Yeah, I do. And yeah, he’s my little brother. I’m proud of him, I’ve seen him in court twice or so, and even if it’s mostly legal jargon I don’t understand, it’s pretty awesome.”

Cas nods, smiling. “What’s the difference between you two?”

“We’re four years apart, but we tend to act like we’re twins and also twenty years apart at the same time.” Dean laughs, shrugging. “You have brothers too, right?”

“Yeah. Big family, really, but you likely already knew that.” Cas smiles. “Lucifer, Micheal and Gabriel are my older brothers, and Balthazar and Anna are my little siblings. They all work here.”

“Yeah. The Shurley family, right? I’ve met Balthazar and Gabriel, and,” Dean chuckles a bit, “Anna too, and Micheal. Although Micheal and I aren’t on the best of terms.”

“Oh?” Cas raises his eyebrow. “Don’t worry about it, Micheal and I are never on the best of terms.” He smiles. “When we were younger he used to torment me and snitch on me, and now he steals my cases and goes over my head.” Cas crosses his arms and Dean simply smiles.

He loves seeing Cas so laid back. It’s so different from the man he had walked in and seen. There is still tension in his shoulders and he is still held back, but it’s nice. 

“Two hours, then?” Castiel asks, breaking the silence.

“Yeah. Um, about one hour, fifteen minutes.” Dean glances back to Cas, smiling. “Whatever will we do?” He chuckles lightly, wiggling his eyebrows before resting his arms over his knees.


	5. Chapter 5

Oh.

So Castiel may have been wrong.

Dean may not have a wife and/or children at home.

That may put the entire conversation into a new light.

Nevertheless, Castiel simply smiles, and starts to turn his head away, before thinking, fuck it, and throwing him a wink beforehand. “I was heading home before this, but I believe I have some work I could do.”

Dean seems to have gone silent. And Cas will be damned if he looks at him, but he wears a quiet smile as he pulls out his briefcase and opens it. In reality, he doesn’t have much he can do now without the presence of other people, but if Dean isn’t going to talk, he can at the very least try to work.

After a minute, he hears Dean let out a slight huff of breath and pull out his phone, before groaning. “When we get out of here, I’m starting a petition to get this elevator its own wifi signal.”

Castiel smiles, glancing at Dean. “I suppose it is a bit inconvenient when all you have to do is something on a phone or a laptop.”

“Yes, I suppose.” Dean says with a big grin and a slight posh accent, before laughing.

“You’re mocking me.” Castiel raises his eyebrows, before squinting slightly at Dean. “I don’t even have an accent.”

“Yeah, well, you talk like you should.”

Cas rolls his eyes, shrugging. “I’ve heard that before too.” He’s smiling, though. Truth be told, it sounds much sweeter and kinder coming out of Dean’s mouth. Not upsetting at all. He takes his eyes off Dean’s, staring at the elevator doors.

“I’m sure you have. It’s not a bad thing. You sound smart.”

“I am smart.” Castiel looks at him with a light smile.

“Well, yeah, but, I mean,” Dean chuckles lightly, “yeah, you’re smart, but you sound smart too.”

“Thank you, Dean.”


	6. Chapter 6

Dean Winchester does not get flustered.

Dean Winchester is, in fact, known for his confident smiles and charming flirting.

He does not give cutesy compliments and stumble over his words.

Except apparently, he does.

With this stranger that he’d never spoken to before, well, before about a little over one hour now.

This is fantastic.

“Of course, man. It’s true. You gotta be smart to make it where you are, right?”

“Yes.” Cas nods. “I’m junior partner, and close on my way to being senior.”

“Yeah, exactly. So you walk, talk, and breathe smart.”

“How does one breathe smart, Dean?” Cas looks at him, eyebrow raised and lips curled in a small smile.

“You know what I mean.” Dean looks down at his feet and sort of pretends to be grumpy, but there’s a smile there that couldn’t help but manifest.

Cas nods and he looks off into the distance. Between them, there’s a comfortable silence, and Dean starts to think about everything that’s happened in the past hour.

He reruns all of the events, one at a time. And yeah, there’s a slight crisis, but he could stay here with Cas for hours. He’s having a good time, really. 

He looks over at the man, and he’s closed his eyes, his head leaned back and tilted toward the lights in the room. Most people, light seems to bounce off of them. And yeah, it does. That’s how it works. But Cas, the light seems to soak into him. And he sits there like he couldn’t get enough of it. He’s not asleep, Dean can tell, he’s smiling. But he’s content. Dean wonders if Cas is as intrigued with him as he is with Cas.

And then it hits him. 

Really it should have hit him earlier. It would have if he didn’t enjoy charming everyone he meets.

He’s interested in this guy.

Well that, that makes a lot more sense.

Dean’s eyes land on Cas’ tan overcoat - a trench coat. Not strange considering the time of night, he supposes, but why wouldn’t he take it off?

“Hey, are you just gonna keep that coat on this whole time? It might get hot in here.”

Cas raises his eyebrows at him, and he smiles. Just smiles. No words come out of his mouth. It looks like he’s waiting for something. 

And then Dean flushes a bit, before simply throwing Cas a smirk, and shrugging. “Have it your way.”

Shit.

Well, at least Cas smiled. That… meant something, right?


	7. Chapter 7

Is Dean flirting with him?

Did he just essentially ask him to take off his clothes?

Did he smile?

Has Cas been essentially flirting back?

I mean he knew he was, kind of, but still.

Oh.

Well…

“I suppose I will. Have it my way, I mean.” He smiles at Dean, before settling further back and looking forward toward the doors.

“As everyone should.” Dean replies, following Cas’ gaze and settling his own eyes there as well.

“How much longer now, do you think?”

“It’s been…” Dean pauses, looking at his phone, “It’s been about an hour forty five. So soon.” He grins.

“It’s been an honor.” Cas teases, turning his head before getting on his knees to fully face Dean, offering his hand for a handshake.

“Indeed.” Dean replied, mirroring the pose and shaking Cas’ hand.


	8. Chapter 8

The sound of the elevator doors opening may be one of the most beautiful sounds Dean Winchester has ever heard.

The moment it’s safe, he grabs Cas’ hand and his briefcase, and he tugs him out full force. 

Cas laughs a bit, likely at Dean, and follows. Eventually they reach the front doors of the building, after taking the stairs down ten floors. They’re panting, and Dean has let go of Castiel’s hand, but they’re grinning.

Dean’s never let go like this with anyone so soon. So quickly. So he plans to milk this… this connection, this bond, for everything it’s worth. And if it never runs out, he’ll be perfectly happy.

They’re grinning, and they start to walk out the door when Dean hands Cas his briefcase. 

“Thank you.” Castiel chuckles lightly, smiling at Dean.

“‘Course, Cas. No problem.”

The men walk silently to their parking spots, but soon it becomes evident that they’re going to have to split up, and before they do so, Cas speaks up.

Well, he more blurts some words out, but he gets his point across.


	9. Chapter 9

“Can I have your number?”

Dean blinks. “My… number?” 

Oh fuck. Okay. Cas actually said that. 

“Yeah. Your number. Or I can give you mine.”

Dean smiles, and he reaches into his pocket, pulling out a pen. “Let’s go old school, hm?” He hands his pen over to Cas, and puts his arm out. “C’mon, make your mark on me.” He’s grinning, and as Cas takes Dean’s pen, he can’t help but grin as well.

He writes his number on Dean’s arm. 

Castiel is overcome with this feeling that he’s in high school again. He’s beaming, still, and in the cool midnight air, he notices the gooseflesh on Dean’s arm. 

He finishes his number and smiles, looking at it. “You should get to your car.”

“You want to see her real quick? I can drive you to your parking spot, so you’re not cold.” Dean offers, and Cas nods.

“I’d love to.”

Cas and Dean walk over to a big, sleek, black car. It’s beautiful, really, and a classic. It puts his car to shame, honestly.

“This is my Baby.” Dean smiles proudly, walking around to the driver’s seat and patting the roof of the car lovingly. “Door’s unlocked, just hop in.” 

Dean and Cas get inside, and they sit in general silence for the short drive, other than Cas’ soft instructions. Dean does go on a short ramble about the car, which Castiel learns is a ‘67 Chevy Impala that used to belong to Dean’s father. Dean had built her back from the ground up a couple times, and he was incredibly proud of her. The joy was contagious, really, and Cas began to grow rather fond of the car himself in the few minutes he was there.

Dean finally stops the car, and the gentle rumble of the engine lessens. Cas looks over at Dean, and again, their eyes lock. “Thank you for this, Dean.”

“What? Driving you across the parking lot?” Dean raises his eyebrow and smiles. “No problem.”

“Everything. You made the whole… situation better.” Cas smiles, and he places his hand gently on the shoulder closest to him. “Goodnight, Dean.”

“‘Night, Cas. It was nice meeting you. I’ll text you tonight.” Dean smiles, and he bites his lip (he _bites_ his _lip),_ and watches Cas get out of the car.

Castiel stands outside the car, and waves, smiling lightly. He pulls out his phone, and stares at it for a moment, before putting it away. He gets into his car, and sits there for a minute, before his phone buzzes. 

_Hey, it’s your Elevator Crisis Buddy._

Cas smiles, and he turns the key in the ignition, before texting back.

_Don’t text and drive._

_Same time tomorrow?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! I said this in the tags, but this is my longest and most detailed work in the fandom, so let me know what you thought. I’m so grateful you enjoyed(if you did), and again, thank you so much for making it here and reading my fic.


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